Lee Stensness: Farcical injury faking can be remedied

The Cheetahs' 'Lay-down Sally' impersonations last weekend against the Waratahs highlighted the practice of faking injuries to slow down play. This has existed in rugby probably since it was first played.

Every team has done it when under pressure and, when a team is facing a five-metre scrum on their goal line, it is almost mandatory that a prop goes down so that the team can draw breath and refocus.

However, it was appropriate that it was a South African team that took it to the nth degree as teams from the Republic, from a NZ perspective, have used that tactic to their advantage throughout the history of Super rugby.

Against South African opponents, New Zealand teams generally try to speed the game up because we have always perceived them to be more set-piece oriented, bigger man for man (especially in the forwards) and not as fit.

Our tactics are to try and reduce the number of stoppages and set pieces throughout the game so that they tire and our superior fitness becomes a winning advantage towards the end of the match.

This is achieved by kicking the ball out only when absolutely necessary so as to reduce the number of lineouts.

If lineouts were necessary, our throw is made quickly and we get the ball in and away as fast as possible.

At scrum time, similarly, there is an emphasis on getting there and forming quickly to encourage the referee to make them do the same. And it is scrum time where they have been able to get away with slowing the game down the most as the rule regarding injuries treats props as 'sacred cows', pun intended, because the game cannot be restarted without specialist props for safety reasons.

To remedy this scourge of faking injuries, maybe it is time to introduce a rule where a player who requires treatment for any reason must leave the field to do so. After being treated, the player cannot return until the next stoppage in play. This would include props as the scrum could take place using 'golden oldies' rules - meaning absolutely no pushing, thus eliminating danger to the player forced into the front row.

The injured player would still succeed in slowing the game but, as a result, his team would then suffer the disadvantage of having one less player for the next period of play. This would make players think very seriously about their need for attention and would surely eliminate the situation where a player goes down and, after a wee squirt of water on the injured body part and a drink, as well as one for the rest of the boys, is up and as good as new.

We saw all this at farcical levels last weekend, and see it regularly in all matches.

If the player was genuinely injured and could take no further part in the match then he could be replaced immediately.

The decision would have to be made by the medicos and the player then and there.

In those cases, it is right that the game should be stopped and then restarted without any disadvantage to the injured player's team.

-HERALD ON SUNDAY